Townesella Huggert and Masner, 1983: 67–69

MASNER, LUBOMÍR & GARCÍA R, JOSÉ LUIS, 2002, The Genera Of Diapriinae (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) In The New World, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2002 (268), pp. 1-138 : 107-112

Townesella Huggert and Masner, 1983: 67–69 .

DIAGNOSIS (♀) Small­sized individuals (1.7 mm); body honey yellow, predominantly smooth and shining, with scattered long, semidecumbent setae; foamy structures and cushions of hairs not developed; head subhexagonal, with at least posterior ocelli outside ocular zone; eye in lateral view distinctly shorter than postgena; antenna 11­segmented, A11 distinctly larger than A10; metapleuron almost smooth; propodeum posterolaterally with transparent bladelike laminae; petiole in dorsal view subcampanulate, with posterior margin sharp.

DESCRIPTION (♀): HEAD. Head in dorsal view slightly longer than wide, subhexagonal; temple straight but somewhat convergent posteriorly, temple behind eye slightly longer than length of eye, with small area of granular sculpture appearing as minute sharp points; antennal shelf small, not margined posteriorly, frons unarmed; at least posterior ocelli outside ocular zone; head in lateral view with level of torulus in lower half of eye; face as high as wide, with clypeus not clearly indicated, relatively small, subcircular; eye height shorter than half of head height, posterior orbit of eye straight, ommatidia large, highly convex, raspberry­like, eye considerably shorter than postgena, eye only slightly higher than malar space; head in frontal view mandible bidentate, lower tooth sharp and much longer than upper tooth; palpal formula 3–2, palpi short; oral carina fine; head in ventral view with hypostomal bridge well developed; occipital flange absent; antenna 11­segmented without differentiated clava, with A4 to A10 subquadratic, closely approximated, antennomeres progressively enlarged, A11 largest. MESOSOMA. Mesosoma higher than wide; pronotal shoulders distinctly prominent, rounded, with delicate granular sculpture; mesoscutum elongate, in lateral view only moderately convex, without anterior parallel and parapsidal lines; anterior scutellar pit moderate, shorter than scutellar disc, subrectangular, rather shallow; scutellar disc subquadratic, moderately convex, without median longitudinal keel, with lateral keels moderately developed; posterior margin of axilla roundly sloping down, axillar depression small but deep; mesopleuron rather flat, with median oblique line well developed; dorsellum weakly developed, with three longitudinal keels; metapleuron almost smooth, with delicate microsculpture; propodeum short, with sharp prominent median keel and with prominent bladelike laminae posterolaterally; plica moderately developed; forewing primarily developed, elongate, not infuscate, submarginal vein short, slightly exceeding basal one­fourth and closely paralleling front margin of wing, basal vein not indicated; legs relatively long and strong, femur medially incrassate, tibia cylindrical, with long and abundant pilosity, tarsi distinctly compressed, much higher than wide, hind coxa rather large, broadest in basal third, gradually tapering to apex; apex of anterior tibia without specialized spine dorsally. METASOMA. Petiole in dorsal view sub­ campanulate, only slightly longer than wide, with posterior margin sharp and slightly concave; metasoma past petiole short, only slightly longer than wide, in lateral view only slightly convex dorsally and ventrally; syntergite with evenly scattered semidecumbent setae; S2 basally with strong semilunar transparent inner apodeme.

RECOGNITION AND RELATIONSHIPS: Huggert and Masner (1983) compared Townesella with Myrmecopria mainly because of shared cephalic characters such as elongate head, long temples, and ocellar triangle outside ocular zone. Townesella can be easily distinguished from Myrmecopria by temples converging toward occiput, with head broadest across eyes, frons unarmed, antennal shelf unmargined posteriorly, and by presence of bladelike laminae posterolaterally on propodeum. Unlike in Myrmecopria pronotal shoulders are angularly protruding and tibial apices are not projecting in Townesella . General sculpture of body of Townesella is smooth, compared with rugulose body of Myrmecopria .

MALE: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Only one species, Townesella marjoriae Huggert and Masner , is known from the Sonoran region of North America.

BIOLOGY: Unknown; several females were caught in light traps in semidesert habitats. The light body color and remarkably raspberry eyes may indicate nocturnal habits of Townesella , presumably associated with ants.

Trichopria Ashmead

Figure 99

Trichopria Ashmead, 1893: 407 , 431.

Ashmeadopria Kieffer, 1912: 8 , 10, 59. Synonymized by Muesebeck and Walkley, 1951: 1420 pp.

Phaenopria Ashmead, 1893: 40 , 436. Synonymized by Sundholm, 1960: 215–223.

Planopria Kieffer, 1906: 19 . Synonymized by Kieffer, 1912: 75 pp.

Orthopria Kieffer, 1911: 983 , 984. Synonymized by Kieffer, 1912: 75 pp.

DIAGNOSIS (♀ 3): Small to medium­sized individuals (1–3.5 mm); body color variable, from deep black to pale yellow, body predominantly smooth and glabrous, usually with strong cushions of hairs and some foamy structures; frons unarmed; occiput rounded, never carinate or steplike; female clava usually gradually incrassate toward apex, nonabrupt, clavomeres clearly separat­ ed, generally subspherical to beadlike, apical segment ventrally often with specialized pit; plica of propodeum generally weakly developed, area between plica and keel usually covered with pilosity; apex of anterior tibia with long, slender spine dorsally.

DESCRIPTION (♀ 3): HEAD. Head in dorsal view usually globular, rarely subpentagonal or elongate, frons unarmed; antennal shelf usually moderate, not margined posteriorly; head in lateral view with torulus in various level of eye; eye generally subcircular, variable in size, posterior margin never sinuate; ommatidia relatively small and flat, never raspberry­like; ocelli normal in winged individuals, absent or rudimentary in shortwinged or wingless individuals; oral carina moderately developed; postgenal cushion usually strongly developed, rarely replaced by sparse pilosity or very rarely postgena almost glabrous; occiput rounded, never carinate or steplike, occipital flange moderate; head in frontal view with face usually as wide as high or transverse, usually with scattered setigerous punctures; mandible generally bidentate, rarely strongly projecting or tridentate; clypeus usually with deep transverse sulcus above anterior margin, epistomal sulcus rarely impressed; tentorial pit not developed; malar sulcus very rarely developed or indicated by shallow declivity; head in ventral view with hypostomal bridge well developed; papal formula 5–2 or 4–2, rarely 3–2; female antenna generally 12­segmented, rarely 11­segmented, predominantly clavate, clava usually gradually incrassate toward apex, nonabrupt, rarely semiabrupt, usually 3–4­segmented, rarely multisegmented (5–6 segments), clavomeres clearly separated, generally subspherical to beadlike, apical segment generally largest, usually flattened ventrally, often with specialized shallow pit; male antenna highly variable, A3 to A14 usually elongate­cylindrical to elongate­knotted, rarely beadlike, with short hairs or long bristles, bristles often arranged in whorls, A4 usually sexually modified, enlarged, curved, with keel, rarely A3 or A3 and A4 modified, rarely no segment modified; specialized brushes often present on A7–A8, A8–A9, or only on A8; A1 cylindrical, usually without longitudinal keels, unarmed apically, in males distinctly longer than A3. MESOSO­ MA. Pronotum in dorsal view only moderately developed, pronotal shoulders at most rudimentary, sides of pronotum flat, epomium not developed, anterior margin or pronotum usually with dense hairy cushion, rarely interspersed with foamy structures; propleuron usually densely hairy or with hairy cushion, rarely with foamy structures; mesoscutum generally slightly elongate, at most moderately convex, with no sulci, lines or depressions, with sparse semierect long hairs; anterior scutellar pit of various shapes, generally shallow, from large, subcircular or transverse subrectangular to small, or pit completely absent, or median part of pit elevated leaving two lateral separate depressions or pit bisected by median scutellar keel or narrow septum, pit rarely with fine longitudinal striae; scutellar disc usually sharply subrectangular, generally flat or with elevated median keel, very rarely armed or with transverse keel; axilla generally well developed, with sharp posterior margins or axilla almost fused with scutellar disc in species with no anterior scutellar pit; axillar depression moderate, with pilosity, rarely with foamy structures; mesopleuron rather flat, trapezoidal, smooth, shining and glabrous, very rarely with fine horizontal striae, submedian oblique line at most rudimentary, sternaulus not developed; dorsellum generally with three keels, median keel usually strongest; metapleuron entirely covered by dense silvery appressed pilosity; metasternum often with foamy structures; propodeum elongate, propodeal keel usually well developed, often raised anteriorly, rarely produced into long slender backcurved spine, plica generally weakly developed, area between plica and keel usually covered with pilosity, posterior margin of propodeum only moderately excavate, posterolateral corners not angularly projecting; forewing usually elongate, with abundant microtrichia, very rarely infuscate, basal vein not developed but sometimes wing with dark transverse band below marginal vein, submarginal vein strongly approximat­ ed to anterior margin of wing, not distinctly upcurved, reaching approximately basal third of wing, marginal vein wedge­shaped, stigmal vein rudimentary; posterior margin (at frenal gutter) nonangular; submarginal vein in hind wing rudimentary, usually present as basal stem and as spot with hamuli; wings shortened or absent in some species (females or females and males); legs generally slender, femora distinctly clavate distally, tibia moderately clavate distally, tarsi not compressed; apex of anterior tibia with long, slender spine dorsally. METASOMA. Petiole usually slightly elongate, rarely strongly elongate or transverse, always cylindrical, usually densely hairy, rarely with foamy structures, sometimes with longitudinal keels; metasoma past petiole generally elongate, of various shapes, apex in female subobtuse, pointed to conical, metasoma predominantly glabrous, rarely with long scattered hairs, smooth and highly shining, very rarely punctate apically; anterior margin of syntergite straight, not flexed or excised; S2 anteriorly without hairy depressions, sometimes with dense pilosity, anterior margin of S2 rarely humplike projecting forward; specialized spot on S2 not developed; apical sternite in female often vomeriform and long­pointed.

RECOGNITION AND RELATIONSHIPS: Trichopria is no doubt the largest genus of the Diapriinae in the New World. The polytypic nature of this genus precludes definition other than by combination of character states (see Diagnosis above). Sundholm (1960) discussed the status of Trichopria and related genera. In the Neotropical region Trichopria is conveniently distinguished from Acanthopria by presence of a specialized spine on the foretibia, as well as by subspherical (nonrectangular) clavomeres in female antenna and A3 and A 4 in male antenna clearly separated. Trichopria , s.l., is separated from Diapria rather arbitrarily by the shape of the anterior margin of syntergite and by differences in the structure of female clava. The Nearctic genera Auxopaedeutes and Bruesopria are considered at this moment as specialized derivatives of Trichopria . The Nearctic species of Trichopria are predominantly dark colored in comparison with generally light­colored Neotropical species.

DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide. Numerous species are known from both Nearctic and Neotropic regions; however, at present only a fragment of actual size of the genus is known, with most species still undescribed. The near absence of Trichopria in Chile is quite notable.

BIOLOGY: Numerous species were reared as solitary or gregarious parasitoids of various Diptera (e.g., Notton, 1991); one undescribed species is known to us as parasitoid of Psephenidae (Coleoptera) ( Brown, 1967). Several species were found in ant nests and some are aquatic or semiaquatic in habits.

Turripria , new genus Figure 100

DIAGNOSIS (♀): Small to medium­sized individuals (1.5– 3 mm); body always light­colored, yellowish brown to ferrugineous, body shining but with various degree of sculpture, coriaceous to rugulose, with scattered semidecumbent bristles, hairy cushions not developed, foamy structures present on propleuron or metasternum, usually rudimentary; head with vertex remarkably topped, vertex moderately to extremely elevated above eyes, ocelli consequently very far from inner orbits, OOL unusually long; A11 distinctly larger than A10; mesosoma moderately compressed, distinctly higher than wide; mesopleuron usually with dense horizontal striae; axilla rounded posteriorly; axillar depression rudimentary; propodeum short, highly topped; hind coxa distinctly elongate, cylindrical or conical, subequal to or slightly longer than petiole.

DESCRIPTION (♀): HEAD. Head with vertex remarkably topped, vertex moderately to extremely elevated above eyes, head hypognathous, frons unarmed, antennal shelf moderately developed, not margined posteriorly, level of torulus below half height of eye; face subquadrate; eye distinctly higher than long, ovoid inverted droplike, ommatidia relatively large and convex, almost raspberry­like; ocelli situated at top of elevated vertex, very far from inner orbit, OOL unusually long; mandible bidentate, palpal formula 5–2; oral carina moderately developed; postgenal cushion not developed; hypostomal bridge distinctly developed; occipital flange moderate to rudimentary; antenna 11­segmented, with nonabrupt multisegmented clava (6–7 segments), clavomeres subquadrate, rarely elongate, noncompact, A11 distinctly larger than A10, A1 elongate, usually robust, cylindrical, unarmed apically. MESOSOMA. Mesosoma moderately compressed, distinctly higher than wide; side of pronotum relatively flat, pronotal shoulders not developed, epomium rudimentary; upper propleuron rarely with residual foamy structures; mesoscutum distinctly longer than wide, in lateral view highly convex; anterior parallel and parapsidal lines not developed; scutellum subtrapezoidal, anterior scutellar pit well developed, subrectangular, moderately deep, smooth on bottom, shorter than scutellar disc; scutellar disc subcircular, usually with longitudinal median keel, with lateral keels moderately arched; axilla distinctly rounded posteriorly, sloping roundly down; axillar depression rudimentary; mesopleuron flat, subrectangular, more or less straight ventrally, usually with dense, fine, horizontal striae, submedian oblique line distinctly developed; dorsellum well defined, longitudinal keels rudimentary or present; metapleuron with rough rugulose sculpture, with large deep oval depression anteriorly right behind mesopleuron, with only scattered hairs; deep cleft between dorsellum and propodeum; propodeum relatively short, highly topped, median keel usually well developed, plica rudimentary or absent, posterior margin of propodeum almost straight; forewing primarily present, rather long, usually clear, marginal cilia rather long, stigmal vein moderately developed, basal vein not developed; legs usually relatively short and strong; hind coxa distinctly elongate, cylindrical or conical, subequal in length to or slightly longer than petiole; hind femur widest near middle, all tibiae narrowed basally, tarsi moderately to distinctly compressed; apex of anterior tibia without specialized spine dorsally. METASOMA. Metasoma with petiole slightly longer than wide, robust, subcylindrical, highly convex dorsally, without keels, in lateral view petiole strongly sloping down posteriorly in front of syntergite; metasoma past petiole moderately elongate, ovoid, distinctly pointed apically, only moderately convex dorsally and ventrally, syntergite entirely covered with scattered semidecumbent bristles; anterior margin of S2 entire, specialized spot not visible.

TYPE SPECIES: Turripria woldai , new spe­ cies (described below), by present designation.

RECOGNITION AND RELATIONSHIPS: Turripria is remarkable in shape of head, with vertex highly topped and ocelli elevated high above eyes. Turripria shares shape and structure of propodeum with Philolestoides and Asolenopsia ; also the shape of eye and distinctly convex ommatidia are shared among the three genera. The males of Turripria are unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin turris (‘‘tower’’), with reference to the peculiar shape of the head in lateral view, and the suffix pria meaning ‘‘little wasp’’; the gender is feminine.

MALE: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: We studied six species from lowland tropical forests of Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and the Pacific side of Ecuador (material in CNCI).

BIOLOGY: Biology is not known; however, the color, sculpture, and general habitus of body, raspberry eyes, as well as lytic alectomy lead us to believe that Turripria is associated with ants. Numerous individuals of T. woldai , new species, were collected in light traps in Panama with various degrees of lytic alectomy in process; most specimens in CNCI of the above series show various degrees of wing loss.

Turripria woldai , new species Figure 100

DESCRIPTION: Holotype, ♀: Length 1.6 mm; body entirely golden­yellow, eyes distinctly darker; body with scattered semidecumbent pale hairs; wings almost clear. HEAD. Head in dorsal view moderately longer than wide (37:31), with fine rugulose sculpture; temple behind eye strongly receding, shorter than eye (16:10), temple posteriorly (in front of occipital flange) subangular because of vertical zone of rugulosity descending to postgena; occipital flange moderate, steplike, slightly wider than width of ocellus; eye raspberry­like, ommatidia large and convex, only slightly smaller than ocellus; antennal shelf strongly projecting forward, torulus in level with lower half of eye; head in lateral view higher than long (42:37), with frons and occiput convex, nonconical, top of vertex rounded; part of head above upper orbit distinctly shorter than eye height (10:24); postgena narrower than eye length (12:16); eye height malar space (24:10); eye shorter than head height (24:42); head in frontal view with rugulose sculpture on face, with finer sculpture on frons; antenna relatively short and strong, A1 robust, only three times longer than wide, with rough sculpture; clava indistinctly 6­segmented, with dense decumbent pale pilosity, slightly gradually incrassated toward apex; antennomeres in relative proportions (30:9.5), (8.5:5.5), (10: 5), (6.5:6), (6.5:7), (6:8), (7:9), (7:9), (7:9.5), (7:9.5), (17:10). MESOSOMA. Mesosoma in relative proportions length:width:height (55: 30:40); anterodorsal corner of pronotum with rough rugulose sculpture, side of pronotum predominantly sculptured, with irregular wavy horizontal striae and with relatively smaller smooth area anterad spiracle; median lobe of mesoscutum remarkably highly convex, mesoscutum almost smooth laterally, with fine coriaceous sculpture medially; scutellar disc with complete longitudinal median keel; entire mesopleuron with fine dense horizontal sculpture similar to that on sides of pronotum, with extreme ventral lobe almost smooth; metasternum with scattered foamy structures; median propodeal keel sharply pointed anteriorly, plica rudimentary, indicated only anteriorly. METASOMA. Metasoma with petiole in relative proportions length:width:height, (18:13:13), petiole humped dorsally, straight ventrally, with fine rugulose sculpture; metasoma past petiole in proportion length:width:height (63:35:35).

MALE: Unknown.

TYPE MATERIAL: 50♀. Holotype, ♀ ( CNCI no. 22462), PANAMA, C.Z., Barro Colorado Is., July 2–8 1978, light trap no. 1, H. Wolda. Paratypes, 49♀ from Barro Colorado Is., C.Z. (Panama), lowland rainforest, collected in light traps, with flight periods in February and July and few individuals collected in May, August and December 1977 and 1978. Paratypes deposited in CNCI, INBC, MIUP, MIZA, NMNH, USNM.

ETYMOLOGY: This new species is named in honor of Mr. Henk Wolda, who collected the type series as well as many other nocturnal Diapriinae in Barro Colorado Island ( Panama).

BIOLOGY: Females collected in light traps exhibited lytic alectomy in progress; in many individuals wings were missing or fragile and were detached during mounting.

VARIATION: Minimum variation in total body length, color, and sculpture was observed among the type series.

Xanthopria Brues Figure 102

Figures

Figs. 98–102. 98, Townesella marjoriae Huggert & Masner, habitus, lateral view; 99, Trichopria sp. habitus, lateral view; 100, Turripria woldai n. sp. habitus, lateral view; 101, Xenismarus sp. habitus, lateral view; 102, Xanthopria sp. habitus, lateral view.